A Sage's Love
by RWingflyr
Summary: Saying goodbye forever is always hard, especially when it's to your best friend. A one-shot story in the OoT storyline.


Hello, everyone. This is RWingflyr and this is my first Zelda story. It's only a one shot story and it gets pretty sad at the end, so enjoy.

Disclaimer: "The Legend of Zelda" and all its characters, names and places are copyrights of Nintendo.

A Sage's Love

"The sage is a girl I'm sure you know."

Those words echoed throughout Link's mind as he furiously raced after Dampé's ghost. The mysterious Shiekah told him to go to Kakariko Village and acquire the strange gravedigger's prize in order to enter the mysterious Forest Temple.

_"Who could it be? I know a lot of girls in that forest, how am I supposed to know which one it is?"_ Link thought. Trying to figure that question out while at the same time race after a ghost of a gravedigger caused the hero to almost lose himself within the subterranean labyrinth. Finally reaching his destination, he tucked his prize, the hookshot, away and raced away on his horse Epona to Kokiri Forest.

The forest that he once called home was not the peaceful haven it had been in Link's youth. Deku Babas and Deku Shrubs popped up from the ground and attacked whenever Link ventured near. The Kokiri children were nestled away securely in their round, wooden homes away from the danger. Link scrambled up to the entrance to the Lost Woods in order to escape the forest monsters. Ganondorf's evil magic had apparently reached this sacred, once unreachable dwelling. A thought suddenly hit Link, a feeling like he's forgotten something.

_"You nitwit! Sheik taught you the Minuet of Forest for a reason!"_ Of course! He mentally kicked himself for forgetting that important tune. After realizing his lapse, Link scampered into the Lost Woods away from all the mutant vegetation and played the melody to skip over all the madness between him and his destination.

Link materialized in the Sacred Forest Meadow. The giant moblin guarding the entrance was completely oblivious as to the hero's whereabouts. Link, just like he had when he met Sheik here, stared longingly at the tree stump sitting idly beneath the temple entrance. Many a time during his youth, Link would venture into this magical meadow to find his dearest friend Saria sitting on that same stump playing on her ocarina. They would share thoughts, laughs and stories late into the evening. It was also here that he learned a song she created so the two could communicate telepathically over unobstructed boundaries. Link still remembered the look on Saria's sweet, innocent face when he set off on his journey to Hyrule Castle; it was a look of the utmost sadness and grief; something Saria rarely ever felt, and no matter how hard he tried to erase that memory, it tortured the very depths of his soul. The image of her – all of it: her kind, young face, emerald hair, even the dulcet sound of her voice – was plastered in his mind. For a moment he could've sworn seeing Saria sitting right there, but merely passed it off as a mirage. Where had she gone? He looked in her house when he arrived in the forest and she wasn't there. What if she were…

_"No, she's not dead! She's stronger than that! I know she is!"_  He was determined to find out. He whipped out his ocarina and played Saria's fabled tune, hoping against hope she would respond.

_"Link, is that you?"_

_"Yes, Saria. Are you okay?"_

_"Link! Oh I'm so glad you're here!"_ Link felt relieved to hear her sweet voice again. _"Please, Link. You have to help me! Someone inside the temple was calling me and all of a sudden these monsters appeared! Link, please hurry!"_

Link loved Saria as a friend too much to let her down. He hookshot his way to the temple entrance and ventured into the bowels of the infested sanctuary.

The last of the four sister poes disintegrated and lit the last of the four torches in the central chamber. Link rode the wooden elevator down to the lowest floor. He still had not found Saria. He became worried.

_"Where is she? I've looked in every room of this temple and still haven't found her."_ The room behind the gold doors at the end of a long hallway appeared to lead to a dead end. Link carefully strode up the stairs and found a circular room with several paintings on the wall. The strange part was, to Link's bewilderment, all the paintings were the same. This, for the most part, scared Link. He turned to leave but large spikes shot up from where he entered, killing any hopes of escape. At the sound of a horse's snort, Link turned and found Ganondorf atop his armored steed. But wait…

The figure that was Ganondorf yanked on his dark face to reveal a hideous phantom face. Link quickly shot the equine out from under the phantom with his newly acquired Fairy Bow and proceeded to slash at the monster with the legendary Master Sword. The phantom fell defeated, highlighted by its ghostly body decaying and withering in a midst of blue light. It was immediately sucked into a dark vortex in the floor, at which point Ganondorf's booming voice resounded in the small room.

_"Very good, kid. It seems you're able to hold your own against my dark minions. This pitiful disgrace has just earned an eternity suspended between dimensions thanks to you. That battle was apparently too easy, but I assure you that facing me will not be that easy."_ The voice slowly diminished, the dark wizard's laughter fading away. Link stepped into the ring of light that had appeared on the floor, prepared to meet the sage of this temple.

The vast emptiness of the Sacred Realm enveloped the Hero of Time. Link stood on the Triforce inside the immense chasm, facing the spot the Forest Sage would emerge from. Nothing could prepare him for what he saw then.

A circular light appeared and Saria's child form rose from it. Link couldn't believe it. Saria gave him a meek, loving smile.

"Hi, Link." Just the sound of her voice made Link wish for his childhood again. "As you can see, I have been chosen as the sage of the Forest Temple."

Link couldn't contain himself. He ran forward and kneeled, embracing the small Kokiri girl as if she were life itself. Saria clutched Link's adult frame with equal passion. Link's voice quivered as he continued holding his lifelong friend. "I was worried about you, Saria."

"I wasn't about you, Link." They loosened their hold on each other and just stared into each other's eyes. "The Deku Tree chose you to dispel that evil monster inside him because you are brave. Your bravery has brought you this far, Link; you are the bravest person alive I know." Saria's voice quivered a bit and she lay her head on his chest. A solitary tear trickled down a cheek.

Link cradled her head and ran a hand through Saria's soft emerald hair, its scent that of a cool forest breeze. "Will I ever see you again?"

Saria raised her head and gazed into Link's blue eyes. "Link, I never knew I was a sage until those monsters captured me in the temple.  That Rauru sage spoke to me and informed me of my duties now that I'm a sage. I can no longer live in Hyrule with you, Link. My place is now that of this Sacred Realm." Link could see she was desperately trying to hold back tears, but her efforts were futile. "Link, I'm so sorry." She clenched his tunic tightly and buried her face in it in a wave of sorrow. Tears flowed from her eyes like a river breaking a dam. Link could feel her tears soak through his green tunic as he embraced the young girl. Never before had Saria cried so much in her life. She had not volunteered to be the Forest sage, but fate would not allow the two friends to occupy the same world ever again. Both of them hated it, but Saria's duty had been written in the stars before the two even met.

While Saria cried her soul out onto him, Link felt his eyes swell with tears as well. Being away from Saria – his best friend – ripped his soul to shreds. _"Damn you, reality. Why are you playing this cruel joke on me? Don't you dare take my friend away."_

"Link," she sniffed and wiped some tears from her eyes. "I desperately wish I didn't have to do this. If I had a choice, I'd rather live in Hyrule with you. You're a very special friend, Link." The hero rested his face on her shoulder and let tears drip down his face onto her olive sweater. Saria hugged Link's head gently. "But now that I'm a sage, I realize my existence has purpose. I didn't know it before, but this was my destiny." She could feel tears streaming down her face again. "Link, being a sage allows me to help you rid Hyrule of its greatest evil; I can help you fight Ganondorf and cast him into the Dark Realm." Saria raised Link's head up so that their gazes met. She managed a timid laugh. "Isn't that what friends do? Help each other?"

Link was too choked up to say much. "I'll miss you."

Saria gave him a sympathetic smile. "I know you will, Link. I'll miss you, too." She took one of Link's hands and examined it in the softness and tenderness of her own and slowly shook her head in amazement. "I still can't believe you're all grown up, Link. You've changed a lot since you left the forest seven years ago; I knew you eventually would. My life wasn't the same without you there to play and talk with, and no one cared more about your departure than I did." Saria tucked in her lips and looked over Link's larger body, smiling. "You're still just as handsome as you were then." She brushed some hair behind one of her ears nervously. "I'm, um, a bit embarrassed to say this, but while you lived in the forest I had a bit of, um, an interest in you." She giggled.

Link felt himself blush at his friend's sudden confessing of her intimate feelings for him. He began fumbling nervously for a response. "Gee, well, um, I uh…well, um, thanks. I think you're kinda cute, too." Saria giggled again at the hero's answer, but her expression soon turned serious.

"Link, I wish we could live those beautiful times of innocence again. Those were the best times of our lives until Ganondorf came and ruined them."

Link grabbed the Kokiri girl and held her close to him. "You have my word, Saria. I will find the other sages and we will rid this land of Ganondorf forever. Only then will Hyrule return to peace." Link looked down and saw Saria crying again, but this time with a smile.

_"Yes. Hyrule will live on in peace again. Thanks to you, Link."_

After a long, emotional embrace, Link held Saria out at arm's length. "I feel guilty leaving you here all alone, Saria; all alone in this void of the Sacred Realm."

Through tear-filled eyes, Saria smiled. "Don't feel guilty, Link. I won't be alone." Link gave her a confused look. "You'll be here with me."

"I will?"

"Of course you will, Link." Saria took one of his strong hands and placed it on her heart. "Here." 

Link could feel the steady rhythm of his friend's heartbeat. He swallowed hard as more tears fought to find their way out. He then felt his own heartbeat quicken a bit as he prepared for what Saria had to say as she sat down next to him, placing a small, affectionate hand over Link's heart.

"Link, as long as you have that special place in my heart, I will never be alone." She paused, tears running down her beautiful, smooth face and looked up into his. "Nor will you be alone, for I know I hold a place in your heart as well." Saria closed her eyes, absorbing as much of the tender moment as possible. Suddenly, she felt a light kiss on her head. That abrupt, intimate gesture prompted Saria to do something she thought she would never do, but had wanted to do for the longest time. She stood so she was face-to-face with Link.

"Link, I have to tell you something that if I don't say it, I'll never have another chance to do so." Saria gulped. _"Here I go. I can't turn back now."_

"Saria, you know you can tell me anything, so just say whatever it is you need to say."

_"Okay, here it goes."_ She firmly grasped Link's face with both hands and brought it closer to hers until their lips met in a passionate kiss. Tears of happiness gently rolled down a cheek and into her mouth. Both Saria and Link could taste the saltiness of the joyful tears. At that moment, time seemed to freeze as the pretty Kokiri remained locked to the grown-up hero. Saria's azure eyes closed as she reveled in the moment. After what seemed like an eternity, she ultimately separated from him. Saria slowly ran the side of a smooth hand along Link's face. "I hope you understand, Link."

Link just sat there, completely dumbfounded. "Um, Saria, I-I-I don't know…"

Saria placed a finger to his lips. "Link, it's okay. I just wanted to let you know that I see you more than just as a friend." She reached inside his tunic and removed a very familiar object: his fairy ocarina. "Remember this? I gave it to you when you left the forest for the first time. I told you that it was a token of our undying friendship, Link." Saria wiped away a tear.

Link placed a hand on her shoulder. "Saria, we always will be friends, no matter where we are."

Saria smiled. "Yes, Link. We will always be friends." Suddenly, Saria became enveloped in a dim viridian glow.

"Saria, what's happening?"

The girl's pretty smile told Link she was okay. "I'm being accepted into the Sacred Realm. It's time for me to go, Link." Saria gave Link a small kiss on the cheek. "Hold out your hand. I have something to give you." Link obliged and the new sage placed a small round object in his hand. "This is the Forest Medallion; it contains just a small portion of my power as a sage. This power will aid you in your battle with Ganondorf." Saria then handed Link his fairy ocarina. "My song, Link. Play my song to return to the world you must save."

A tear streamed down Link's cheek. Saria tenderly wiped it away with her thumb. "I love you, Saria." Link said. He began playing the nostalgic melody and soon felt a white light surrounding him.

The beautiful tune echoed throughout the immeasurable emptiness of the Sacred Realm. As Link continued playing the song, he saw Saria standing on her pedestal, holding her hands to her heart. Even though the song was all Link could hear, the words he saw Saria speak in silence echoed soundly in Link's soul before she disappeared into her emerald ambience.

"I love you."

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Tell me what you think! Please R/R!!! (ABSOLUTELY NO FLAMES)


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